Construction company hopes training program will produce new hires

MARSHFIELD – As the construction industry continues to pick up, company leaders at Staab Construction in Marshfield are hopeful workforce training programs will prepare workers for job openings in the coming months.

Staab Construction is part of a group of 10 Wisconsin companies that received a $75,000 Fast Forward grant from the state Department of Workforce Development to train construction workers.

“Construction is really going to take a hit with the employee base because of retirements and people who left construction due to the downturn of the economy,” said Dan Neve, operations manager for Staab Construction. “It’s been difficult to find employees to work in our industry that are trained.”

Between August 2014 and February 2016, 62 workers will participate in the six-week Foundations for the Trades program in Madison. The program, provided largely through the Madison-based employment training organization Operation Fresh Start, will teach workers about construction tools and materials, measurements, job site safety and first aid.

Workers also will learn time and conflict management and professional communication skills and prepare for apprenticeship exams and OSHA certification through training provided by the Urban League of Greater Madison and Construction Training Inc/Start.

“We’ve run (the program) two times, and in the first class, 80 percent of the people ended up in the construction industry,” said Pat Schramm, executive director of the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin. “We’re trying to recreate a pipeline of talent for the construction industry.”

Schramm said she expected 100 percent of the next class to obtain construction jobs.

The Wisconsin Fast Forward grant program was introduced by Gov. Scott Walker in early 2013 to fund demand-driven training for companies that have identified specific workforce needs. Grant recipients partner with other businesses, workforce and economic development organizations and technical colleges to train workers.

Neve said Staab Construction decided to apply for the grant to attract workers who hadn’t considered construction careers before undergoing training, including women and ethnic minorities. The company is wrapping up an application period through which it plans to hire about 10 workers, but Neve said Staab Construction will be seeking concrete workers, carpenters, equipment operators and general laborers in the near future.

Staab Construction specializes in wastewater work for municipalities, and Neve said finding workers interested in laying pipes in streets has been a challenge for the company.

“The thing people don’t understand is that these are great paying positions. Most starting wages out in the field are $20 plus per hour,” Neve said. The company also has been working with Marshfield High School to generate interest in construction careers.

In the most recent round of Fast Forward grant awards, other companies throughout Wisconsin received a total of $974,627 to train about 600 workers in construction, transportation and financial services occupations.

Marisa Cuellar can be reached at 715-384-3131. Find her on Twitter as @cuellm34.